(Note: In this story, when Shadow goes to meet RealShadowFan01, an unexpected twist will result in his life changing...in a good way).
~My Fragile Butterfly~
I'll marry them
I'll marry RealShadowFan01, but I have a strict set of rules.
RealShadowFan01, if you're up to the tasks, I will propose.
I iron my linens every night, I refuse to go to bed in a wrinkled bedsheet. Anyone who wants to be my partner, must be able to assist.
Task #2: my partner must cook food as they did on the Ark, the recipes must be exact.
I have a twenty step skin care routine keeping me young and youthful. If a potential suitor can't see the value in proper facial hygiene, they must formally step aside.
RealShadowFan01, if these rules don't deter you, meet by the Ferris Wheel. I will be waiting with a ring and a bouquet of lavender. Thank you for your question.
"He accepted the proposal! Now hurry up and pack your things, and go meet him at the Ferris Wheel!"
"Your father's right, hurry up! The sooner you get that done, the sooner you'll be out of our lives! We only need your older sister anyway, so get moving"
"Alright, Mom and Dad. I'm sorry..."
[Time Skip]
The path ahead had many twists and turns leading to multiple areas throughout the tiny village, but Shadow only had one place in mind as he strolled towards a sign pointing off towards the left.
Angling himself off towards the left with an indifferent expression, he scanned the tall gondola with a hum; shifting his feet sluggishly towards the entrance of the large Ferris wheel, he noticed the vacant space around him.
Although it was all jokes and fun when he had told that fan to meet him here during the podcast— now it seemed as if his actions had come back to bite him.
Sitting down on the lone bench within the small park, with folded arms across his white patch of fur, he looked straight ahead with blank expressions with his red scarf waving in the air.
The park was empty with junk lying around the floor with dust flying into the air from the wind, once in a while a tumbleweed would dance solo through the plain field as the only living organism to be spotted within the ghost amusement park.
Tapping his foot against the ground with impatience climbing it's latter, Shadow leaned his back against the flat board; thorough not to bend his quills, he looked into the cerulean sky with his red eyes flickering in irritation.
Had it not been for the damn bat, he wouldn't be here right now.
"Um, hello?"
Shadow was jolted back into reality when a soft and shy feminine voice spoke to him. He looked to see a hedgehog girl who wore rather large glasses making her way towards Shadow with a nervous grin.
Her fur was orange with a crop of black hair on her head, her eyes a soft blue, and her muzzle was a pale peach with little freckles. She wore a white long sleeved shirt underneath a red vest, a black skirt and leggings and red boots. Behind her, she dragged two large suitcases.
"Um...hello, Shadow. Nice to meet you. My name is Naomi Faubrey the Hedgehog, but I think you know me better as...well, RealShadowFan01", she said shyly.
Shadow looked the girl up and down as if he was examining her, she looked young but she probably wasn't a minor. She seemed rather timid and shy, but he could tell that she was a kindhearted person. Maybe a little socially awkward...and she was physically attractive.
I mean I won't lie...she is quite pretty but why does she have suitcases with her, he thought.
With a click of his tongue, Shadow stood up and marched towards the timid hedgehog, whose hands at the moment were slightly shaking. Of course, he didn't pay much attention to this strange behavior.
Instead, he reached behind his back into his quills and slowly presented a gorgeous bouquet of purple flowers and a ring. Kneeling onto the dry ground full of gravel and dead leaves, Shadow stared into the cerulean eyes that had grown in length.
"You...you actually accept? You really want to marry me? This isn't just some prank, right? There isn't anyone with a camera hiding somewhere waiting to jump out and say "you just got pranked", is there?", Naomi asked apprehensively.
Well this was originally intended to be a joke but now I have no choice but to follow through with it, Shadow thought.
He kept that feeling to himself as he looked up at the shy girl, "Yes. As I said on the podcast, if you're up to the tasks, I will propose. So...are you? Can you handle my rules?", he said.
Naomi nodded quickly, "Yes, of course I can! I heard your three rules, I can do them! I can iron your bedsheets every night like you want. Cooking meals like it was done on the Ark...I may need to do research on that, but I think I can manage.
"And I don't wear much cosmetics, but I have sensitive skin, especially on my muzzle. So, I know the importance of proper facial care. I have my own skin care routine... though, it isn't twenty steps long like yours. I can handle all of it!", she said steadfastly.
Shadow was surprised and even a little impressed by the girl's determination to be a suitable partner, now it felt wrong to turn her down...not that he was going to because even without that, it would've been wrong to turn her down outright.
Shadow made a promise and he had to follow through on it, no matter how awkward or even embarrassing things may get. So with that said, he stood up and took Naomi by her left hand, sliding the ring onto her ring finger.
"If it's alright, I don't wish to have a wedding. I'm not one for big bombastic celebrations, so I'd much prefer that we just submit our marriage papers", said Shadow.
Naomi looked away with a nervous smile, "No no, it's alright. I don't do well with parties anyway, so I'm fine with that too", she said.
After that, the two of them went to the courthouse to have their marriage certificate filled out and submitted. Once they did, Shadow saw Naomi get on her phone to call someone.
"Hello? Yes, we did. We just submitted our marriage papers...yeah, okay. Alright, goodbye", she said before she hung up.
Shadow noticed that her shoulders were shaking slightly, but before he could ask, Naomi suddenly turned around to smile at him. "Well, it's done. We're a couple now, so I guess I'll have to move in with you if that's okay", she said.
Shadow was beginning to find her behavior quite peculiar, but he didn't say anything. "Alright then, let's go to my house so you can get settled in", he said.
He took Naomi by the hand and Chaos Controlled over to his house, it was a modest looking house with a black roof and beige exterior. Shadow took out his keys and opened the door, allowing Naomi to enter first; the interior looked very quaint and modern.
There were two floors: the bottom floor had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a backyard with a pool. The second floor had the master bedroom, master bathroom, a home office and a few closets; the walls were painted off white and mahogany.
"Wow, this is such a beautiful house!", said Naomi.
"Thank you. With my pay at G.U.N., I could've gotten something more extravagant but I prefer to keep things simple. Anyway, I unfortunately only have one bedroom with one bed, so we'll have to share.
"I understand if that makes you feel uncomfortable but I wouldn't want to have you sleeping on the couch like some squatter, I want to make sure you are at least comfortable with arrangement", Shadow said.
Naomi shook her head, "No, it's okay. After all, we're married now so it's not it's inappropriate for us to sleep in the same bed. I'll be okay, so what do you want me to do now?", she said.
Shadow looked outside to see that the sun was beginning to go down, "Well evening is already approaching, so I think it'll be best for you to settle in and put your stuff away. If you're hungry, I can order out for tonight and you can prepare dinner some other time if you want.
"I don't have all the ingredients to make proper meals at the moment and it's getting too dark out for you to go grocery shopping, so this is best. The master bathroom is upstairs if you want to take a shower", said Shadow.
Naomi nodded as she walked upstairs with her two suitcases, she put away her clothes in the necessary drawers and closets. All that remained was her cellphone, a laptop and both their chargers.
"Um...where do I put these? I suppose I can keep my phone on the bedside table but what about my laptop?", she asked.
"I have a home office, put it there and I'll get you your own desk for it. Speaking of which, can I ask you something? How old are you? Because you look quite young", said Shadow.
"I'm not that young, I'm gonna be twenty one in six months..."
"So you're the same age as the average college student? What are you doing getting married instead of getting a higher education?"
"My parents are poor, they can't afford it. This laptop was one I was given to use in highschool, they let me keep it after I graduated. Can we please not take about my personal life anymore? It makes me uncomfortable, I don't need a college education. I'm fine being your stay-at-home housewife"
Shadow was taken aback by this, he could tell deep down that Naomi was hiding something but since they had just gotten married and started living together, he didn't want to push boundaries. He thought it would be better if the two slowly got to know each other and developed a liking to each other before asking such personal questions.
"Very well, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I promise not to do that again in the future. So, I'm going to order our food while you take a shower. What do you like on your pizza?", said Shadow.
"Oh! Um...black olives and mushrooms", said Naomi as she went upstairs to take her bath.
By the time she finished, put on some pajamas and went downstairs, there was a pizza waiting to be eaten on the dining room table. Naomi sat down across from Shadow and they started eating.
"Um...I'd like to thank you for this opportunity, Shadow. It means a lot that you would accept my proposal, even if it was a bit unconventional. Don't worry, though. I promise to be an excellent wife to you", said Naomi.
"Please don't push yourself too hard, Naomi. I don't expect you to be perfect, I am absolutely fine with average or even the bare minimum. Don't act like you need to please me or anything, just be yourself and do the best you can", said Shadow.
Naomi smiled as she continued to eat, secretly feeling relieved. After they finished, she agreed to clean up while Shadow went to take a shower. As he stood in the shower with the hot water pelting his body, he thought about his new life change.
"It feels strange having a wife, but she isn't a bad person. She just seems a little shy, socially awkward and maybe even anxious. She also doesn't seem keen on telling me about her personal life.
"She doesn't want to go to college and just wants to be a housewife? I suppose I can't force her to change her mind, but it's still odd nonetheless. She said her family was poor, she must've had a rough life, I'll give her time before she's ready to talk about it", he said to himself.
Shadow finished his shower and dries himself off, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed to the bedroom, just in time to see Naomi finishing up ironing the bedsheets.
She noticed Shadow behind her just as she turned the iron off, "Oh hi! I ironed your linens, just like you wanted. This was really the easiest task, so it was no trouble. And now, not only are the bedsheets wrinkle free, they're nice and warm too", she said with a smile.
Shadow was pleasantly surprised to say the least, he didn't think the task would be this simple but he suppose it wasn't rocket science. "Thank you, but I did say my partner should "assist". So next time, wait for me and we'll do it together", he said.
"Oh, okay then. Sorry, forgot marriage is a two person job", said Naomi.
After that, the two of them climbed into bed to go to sleep, though Naomi kept her distance and didn't sleep too close to Shadow. Shadow understood this and reached over to turn off the bedside lamp.
"Goodnight", he said.
"Goodnight", said Naomi.
[Time Skip]
The next morning, Shadow woke up early to find the bed empty. He got up and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and partake in his twenty step skin care routine.
Once he was done, he went downstairs to the kitchen, where he found Naomi preparing breakfast. She turned around to see him, "Good morning, thought I'd make you some breakfast before you head off to work.
"Sorry I can't prepare meals like how they were on the Ark right now, but I can do some research online and go buy some ingredients to do so at the supermarket. Could you lend me some money for that?", she said.
Shadow sat down as he was presented a plate of scrambled egg whites with diced tomatoes and toast, she also made him a cup of tea and gave him a bowl of coffee beans.
"I remembered that you don't drink coffee and eat the beans straight, so I figured I'd give you some in a bowl", said Naomi.
"Thank you for breakfast. I'll let you use one of my debit cards to go grocery shopping, I don't expect you to find everything you need at the markets so don't worry about it. Do the best you can, alright?", said Shadow.
Naomi nodded and smiled, "Of course, thank you. I appreciate your patience and sincerity, by the way. You're so sweet", she said before going to wash the dishes.
Shadow could feel his face heat up a bit, but he brushed it aside and sat down to eat his breakfast.
She's a good cook too...a girl of many talents, he thought.
After having breakfast and giving Naomi one of his debit cards, Shadow left for G.U.N. HQ. He wasn't always assigned to go on dangerous missions, so for the most part, his work life consisted of doing office work. When he walked into his office, he was immediately greeted by Rouge.
"So...is it done? Are you married now? Who is it? Are they nice? Are you treating them right? You're not being a jerk to them, are you?", she asked.
Shadow sighed, "You can't wait for to sit down, can you? Anyway, yes I am married. My spouse is a hedgehog girl named Naomi, she's very shy but she is nice. And I am treating her right, she seems anxious but very capable for herself", he said.
Rouge smiled, "Ooh, didn't figure you to want the life of a husband but I'm pleasantly surprised and impressed. Well, as long as you went through with what you said and treat her well, that's all that matters. You be a good husband now, okay?", she said with a wink before leaving.
Shadow sighed in exasperation but he supposed it was fine, he was treating Naomi the best he could. He didn't push boundaries, was patient and understanding, and he really did appreciate having her around to help him. Also, Shadow wasn't one to treat innocent people badly, so he wasn't ever going to mistreat Naomi.
He just hope that his natural standoffish personality didn't put her off or make her feel uncomfortable.
[Time Skip]
Later in the evening, Shadow returned home only to be hit by an on slot of delicious smells as he walked inside his house. He followed the smells until he was led to the kitchen, where Naomi was standing by a fully table.
"Naomi, what is all this?", he asked.
"Well, the Ark is a space station, right? So, I did research online to find out what type of food is regularly eaten on space stations. I came across a website all about that stuff. It said that food on space stations comes in three forms: natural form, rehydratable, and thermo-stabilized.
"Natural Form refers to food that does not need to be processed, such as crackers, tortillas, nuts, granola bars, condiments, candy, and cookies.
"Rehydratable foods have had the water removed from them. Once the crew are ready to eat, hot water is injected into the pouch to restore the food to its normal form. This includes cottage cheese, shrimp cocktail, scrambled eggs, noodles, mashed potatoes, quiche, borsch, milk, rice, macaroni and cheese, sausage patties, teriyaki vegetables, spaghetti with meat sauce, and grits.
"And finally, there's Thermo-stabilized foods that are heated to a level sufficient to kill harmful microorganisms and enzymes and then packaged in cans, cups, or pouches. This includes chopped pork with eggs, beef with vegetables, split pea soup, pike perch in Baltika sauce, tofu with Hoisin sauce, minestrone soup, grilled pork chop, tomato basil soup, chicken in white sauce, sweet potato and peanut soup, and lasagna.
"After doing all that research, I went into the city looking for places that sell stuff like that. Thankfully, I came across this store that sells military supplies and equipment, and one of the things they sold was rehydrated food packs and ingredients.
"They weren't expensive so I bought a whole bunch, there were so many recipes and varieties. Then I remembered that the website also said you need to balance it out with fresh ingredients, so I got some from the supermarket.
"It was a lot of food, took a while for me to fit most of it in the fridge. Luckily there were things I didn't need to refrigerate, so I put them in the pantry. Then, I practically spent all day making dinner", said Naomi.
She gestured to a soup taurine on the table, next to it was a small basket of rolls and a bowl of salad. Naomi lifted the lid on the taurine to reveal a yellowish colored soup. "This is cream of mushroom soup, it was freeze dried and I rehydrated it. I hope you like it", she said.
Shadow sat down and poured some soup into a bowl, then he picked up a spoon and tasted the soup. Suddenly, Shadow was hit by not only an explosion of delicious flavor, but also a wave of nostalgia. The taste of Naomi's food brought back memories of his time on the Ark, when he and Maria used to eat this food.
When Maria did her best to make the meals so tasty, and how Shadow loved them even if they weren't always well made, just sharing a meal with his best friend was good enough for him.
Shadow dropped the spoon as he placed a hand to his face, fighting back tears. Naomi approached him, "Shadow, are you okay? Is there something wrong with the soup? Oh, I was worried I might not have--"
Naomi was cut off when Shadow suddenly stood up from the table and pulled her into a hug, "This is the best meal I've had in a long time. I said my partner must be able to cook food as done so on the Ark, but you made it even better. Thank you!", he said as he struggled to hold back his emotions.
Naomi was surprised as she blushed deeply, but then she smiled and hugged him back. "You're welcome, Shadow. Phew, I'm so glad the food turned out well. I was worried since I've never cooked space food before, but I'm glad you liked it", she said.
After Shadow calmed down, he and Naomi sat down to enjoy their dinner. The rehydrated soup was rich and creamy and packed with flavor, the salad and bread rolls were fresh but just as tasty. When they were finished, Shadow sat back in his chair with a sigh.
"I'm absolutely stuffed! That was most filling meal I've ever had", he said as he rubbed his full stomach.
Naomi giggled, "Nothing beats a home cooked meal, huh? Say, do you want to help me wash the dishes?", she said.
"Sure, it's only far since you went to such great lengths to prepare dinner", said Shadow.
A minute later, the two of them were standing by the kitchen sink doing the dishes, Naomi was washing and Shadow was drying.
"I've always thought it was more efficient if two people in a relationship did the chores equally. When you wash and I dry, we get things done faster, and then we switch tomorrow evening. It's just common sense", said Shadow as he placed down a dry dish.
Naomi nodded in agreement as she picked up a saucepan and tried to scrub the dried on food off, but she was having difficulty. That was when Shadow took the saucepan from her, "Here, let me show you a trick for this kind of thing", he said.
He then filled up the sink with water, added dish soap to it and the threw in the saucepan. "See, if you let soak overnight, the dried on food will come off when you wash it in the morning", he said. Naomi nodded with appreciation as they made their way upstairs, Shadow going to shower while Naomi ironed his bedsheets.
Shadow soon came out of the shower seeing the task already done, "I thought I said we should do that together next time, I don't want you to feeling like you're my housemaid or something", he said.
"I know, and you're not! I just figured it made more sense to do it while you showered. What would be the point in waiting if I can get it done right away?", said Naomi.
Shadow sighed, "Well alright then, but please remember in the future that we do chores together. We are equals, not a master and servant, so I don't want you doing everything around here by yourself. Understand?", he said.
"Sure, Shadow. Of course, sorry about that. I'm just so used to doing all the chores myself...", Naomi trailed off.
Then, she immediately went to sleep before Shadow could ask her what she meant. That only served to further peak his curiosity about what her home life had been like.
The next morning, Shadow got up for work again, he did his usually morning routine before heading downstairs and being greeted by Naomi who was making breakfast again.
"Morning! Today's breakfast is an Egg and Tater Bake, a well known breakfast casserole dish. The potatoes the tots are made from were rehydrated and I also decided to add some rehydrated sausages in there too if you like", she said.
Shadow sat down and took a bite of his meal, once again the food tasted so immaculate that it was hard to believe half of the ingredients used to be freeze dried. He finished his first plate and couldn't help himself from having a second helping, but then he was full and had to get up to leave.
"Shadow, wait!", shouted Naomi.
Shadow turned around to see Naomi giving him something, it was an autumn themed bento lunchbox. "Here, I got up early so I could make you lunch and breakfast. I don't know what you usually eat while at work, but I thought a homemade lunch would be better. And healthier", she said.
Shadow didn't know what to say, he really appreciated the gesture as no one had ever done something like this for him before. So, with a smile, he took the lunchbox. "Thank you, Naomi. I'll see you later", he said before walking out the door.
Naomi smiled and went to keep herself busy by doing the house chores.
[Time Skip]
In the afternoon, after Shadow had just got through a mountain of paperwork, he realized it was close to lunchtime and he was beginning to get hungry. He got up from his desk, grabbed the lunchbox Naomi made for him, and made his way to the break room.
He sat down at one of the tables and proceeded to open up the lunchbox, only to discover that it was actually a two layered lunchbox with a full meal packed between both layers. The first layer had a salad that consisted of bacon, corn, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and grilled chicken over a bed of kale dressed in a creamy dressing.
The second layer had dessert, which was actually dried fruits and nuts with a tiny container of honey to drizzle over them. Shadow then noticed a note on top of the lunchbox lid, it was a handwritten note from Naomi that read as such:
~I can't believe how many uses there are for freeze dried and dehydrated foods, cooking is so fun. Hope you love the lunch made~
"Aww, did your wife pack you a nice lunch?"
Shadow was surprised by the voice, he turned around to see Rouge hovering over him. He let out a huff of annoyance, "Pfft. Yes, she did, if you must know", he said.
Rouge laughed softly, "That is so cute! You know, Shadow, I may mess around with you but in all honesty, I'm glad you actually did this. It'll be good for you to have someone that close in your life, you barely let your friends in. Maybe your new wife can help correct your attitude problem", she said before flying off.
Shadow huffed again before digging into his lunch, the delectable taste immediately easing his sour mood.
After work was over, Shadow made his way home, but along the way, he bumped into a familiar face. Someone he didn't really feel like talking to...
"Shads, long time no see!"
"Ugh! What do you want, Faker?!"
That's right, it was Sonic whom Shadow had bumped into on his way home.
"Just going for a run like always, saw you zip by and thought I'd stop to chat. So how's it going? Did you actually go through with what you said on the podcast?", said Sonic.
"As a matter of fact, I did", said Shadow.
Sonic did a double take because he couldn't figure out if he was hearing wrong or just going crazy, "Are...are you serious? You actually married RealShadowFan01? I thought that was all just elaborate joke", he said stupefied.
"Well, to be honest, that was my original intention, but when Rouge found out she had forced me to go through with it. She said marriage isn't something you joke about and it would be wrong to string someone along like that", said Shadow.
Sonic let out a whistle as he was still trying to wrap his head around this. "So uh...who are they? Who is RealShadowFan01? What are they like? Are you at least being a good husband to them?", he asked.
Shadow glared at Sonic, "I don't know what kind of person you take me for, Faker, but if you think for even a second that I'd be an abusive spouse, then you're dumber than I thought!", he shouted.
Sonic threw his hands up defensively, "Hey, calm down! I just asked cause I know you're not really a people person, alright? Can you just answer my questions, though?", he said quickly.
Shadow sighed heavily, "If you must know, RealShadowFan01 was actually a hedgehog girl named Naomi. She's a shy girl but she is rather kind and polite, and she's quite attractive as well. She's also quite good at cooking", he said.
Sonic's face adopted a smug grin, "Ooh! Is somebody in love?", he asked mockingly while making a kissy face.
Shadow growled angrily as he kicked Sonic's feet out from under him, tripping the blue hedgehog and making him fall flat on his back.
"For your information, it is far too soon in our relationship for things like that. I do like having her around, but that's far from the realms of romance, don't you think?", said Shadow.
As he started to walk away and continue the journey home, Sonic stood up from the ground. "You say that now, Shadow, but I know deep down you'll end up having feelings for that girl! I mean, I'm pretty sure she's head over heels for you already!", he called out.
Shadow ignored Sonic as he continued on home, though he couldn't help but think about what he had said.
Impossible! It's only been three days and she won't even tell me much about herself, he thought, I doubt she's already fallen in love with me.
Shadow finally made it back home, though the house was a bit quiet and felt empty. "Naomi? Naomi, I'm home!", he called out but got no answer. He walked into the kitchen to see that the table was all set for dinner, it looked like Naomi had made chicken curry with rice and a salad.
The food was still hot, meaning that the table was set not too long ago, so Naomi still had to be in the house. "Naomi, where are you?!", Shadow called out again. He was beginning to grow concerned as he walked around his house, looking for his wife.
When he made it upstairs, that was when he heard something coming from one of the hall closets. It was faint but Shadow could hear it, the noise sounded an awful lot like someone was crying. Shadow grabbed the knob and threw the door open, then he parted the clothes reveal Naomi sitting on the floor.
She was startled and looked up at him, revealing that her eyes were red from crying. Concerned, Shadow bent down to her level. "Naomi, what's wrong? Why are you crying in the closet? I saw dinner was set downstairs, did you cut yourself while cooking and couldn't find the first aid kit?", he said.
Naomi shook her head and pulled her arms up, revealing that she was holding her cellphone in one of her hands. Shadow took the phone and looked at the screen, he saw a text message on screen from Naomi's mother which read:
~Now that you're married, we have no further use for you anymore. So your father and I are cutting all ties with you. Your sister is going to become a famous star like we always dreamed, and you may be a hero's wife now but let's be honest: people will care more about him than you, so just do your best to be an obedient wife so he doesn't divorce you because otherwise you'll be out on the streets. Anyway, we'll be blocking you now, so goodbye!~
Shadow read the message over and over to make sure he wasn't misreading it, then he looked up at his wife. "Naomi, what is going on here? What is this?", he asked.
Naomi sighed, "I guess I should tell you the truth, you were going to find out anyway. Shadow, the truth is...my parents actually hate me, I'm the black sheep of my family! I have an older sister, she's two years older than me and ever since we were kids, she's been the center of attention!
"Everyone loved her because she had a cute and pretty face and she got excellent grades and was super talented in choir and playing the piano. My parents praised her for being a genius and always said she'd go far in this world.
"But me? My grades were average, my face mediocre and I didn't have many friends because I was socially awkward and get anxious around other people. But I did have a hidden talent: I love writing, and I'm really good at it. I've always wanted to be a writer, but my parents mocked me by saying it wasn't a real job.
"Or that it was just an excuse for me to be an unemployed neet for my life. They paid to send my sister to a prestigious university, but they couldn't be bothered to spend money on me. That's why they had me make the RealShadowFan01 account and ask you that question.
"Since they thought I was a talentless loser, their only hope to get rid of me was to have me get married. Truth be told, I didn't think you'd accept but when you did, I was ecstatic! I wanted to get away from my parents for so long and this was my best opportunity so I took it!
"I just wish they had just outright stopped speaking to me after that, they didn't have to send me that message stating they basically disowned me!"
When she finished giving her explanation, Naomi broke down crying again. Shadow couldn't believe what he had heard, he was beyond angry at Naomi's for treating her so despicably but he also felt sorry for Naomi for having to endure that all her life.
He thought back to what she said, about her dream of being a writer...
"Have you written anything? You wanted to be a writer, have you written anything?", he said.
Naomi calmed down and stood up, guiding him over to his home office. She pulled out her laptop and opened it up, then she opened up the word document program to show Shadow her saved manuscripts.
"I've written a lot actually. My parents always dismissed my work and even tried to get rid of my writings, but my laptop is password protected so they couldn't get in. Take a look", she said.
Shadow read through the manuscripts and saw that they were plots for books. One was about a lonely depressed man who falls in love with the most beautiful woman ever, but the twist was she was actually a ghost the whole time.
Another one was from the perspective of a war prisoner, talking about the horrors of being a civilian caught in the crossfires of war and being imprisoned for not betraying your homeland.
Another was about a paranoid man who tries to convince everyone that the world will end because of nuclear fallout but no one believes him. The twist was that he was right, and he ends up being the only survivor because he built himself a shelter, but even then he starts to go insane from the loneliness and wishes he died too.
The last one was a horror story about this girl who gets a penpal, and they write letters to each other frequently. Everything is going fine until the contents of the letters become darker and darker until the girl realizes that her penpal is much closer than she thought.
Shadow read through each story and found them all intriguing, the stories were well paced and the characters were fascinating and the morals were profound. "Naomi, these are all really good. Why haven't you talked to a publisher about getting these turned into books?", he said.
Naomi looked away with a look of shame on her face, telling Shadow all he needed to know. "Let me guess...your parents forbade you because they thought your dream was stupid, did they?", he asked.
Naomi sighed, "Shadow, be honest with me...you don't love me at all, do you? If that's the case, I understand. I can leave if you want, it might take me a while to find a job and a place to live but I don't want to force you to marry me for my sake", she said.
Shadow placed the laptop down on the desk, "Naomi, look at me. That is utter bull crap, and you know it! Yes, I don't love you but that's only because it's too soon for that. I do like you and I appreciate you, you're very kindhearted and I like that about you.
"And I married you so I won't abandon you like your parents did! They were fools for not seeing the pure talent you have at your fingertips! These stories you've written are brilliant and if they couldn't realize that, then it's their loss.
"But I can help you, Naomi. I can find some publishers for you to talk to, you can become a freelance author, you don't have to give up on your dream just because you're married to me. In fact, as your husband, I will do what I can to support you because that is what married couples should do.
"Don't ever believe for a second that I don't care about you, or that I'll ever stop caring about you. We're not at the point of love yet, but you still are an important person in my life, don't forget that", he said.
Naomi looked at him with disbelief for moment, but then she started crying again as she threw her arms around Shadow in a big hug. "Thank you so much, Shadow! Thank you! I promise I won't ever take your kindness for granted!", she said.
Shadow smiled as he hugged her back, "I promise I won't take you for granted either, I will protect you always", he said.
[Time Skip]
The next day, Shadow took Naomi to a local publishers office in town to discuss her books and getting her a freelance writer's job. After reading the manuscripts, the publishers immediately asked if she wanted to do business with them and she said yes.
Afterwards as they went home, Shadow thought it would be best for the two of them to start building their relationship as a couple by going on dates. Shadow looked away nervously, "Um, Naomi...I was wondering if you would like to go with me to the Farmer's Market in town today. That is...if it's okay with you", he said.
Naomi was taken aback as her cheeks heated up. She didn't know how to really feel about that, when she first laid eyes on Shadow, she did find him physically attractive. Then, after hearing him promise that he would protect her had that only made him more attractive to her.
Naomi didn't really have experience with romance. Though, she thought she could give Shadow a chance and see how things went. After all, she wanted their relationship to grow more as well.
"Uh, sure. I would love to go to the Farmer's Market with you, give me a minute to change into something warm since it's pretty chilly out", she said.
Shadow nodded as they walked inside the house and he sat down on the couch to wait for her to get ready, Naomi came back downstairs a few minutes later wearing a dark green jacket and some jeans.
"Ready to go?", asked Shadow.
"Yeah, let's go", said Naomi as she grabbed her wallet and keys.
The two of them left the house and began walking to the Farmer's Market, on the way there they decided to have a conversation.
Shadow told Naomi all about his past, about created on the Ark and meeting Maria. How he lost her and almost ended up destroying the world had it not been for Sonic and his friends, he told her all about the adventures he had experienced since then.
"You know, Sonic is a good person. I know you think he's annoying but he means well, I think you two could be more than just rivals with mutual respect if you gave him a chance", said Naomi.
Shadow thought about, he did despise Sonic's recklessness and cocky attitude but he would be lying if he said the blue hedgehog wasn't always there to help him even with how distant he was.
Soon, the two arrived at the Farmer's Market. They browsed around at the stalls being run by farmers who came from the next town over, since it was in the rural countryside; each stall was giving away free samples of their produce and other farm grown foods.
They stopped by a stall selling artichokes, there was a sample plate with artichokes cloves and a cup of dip along with a sign that read "No Double Dipping, please". Naomi picked up a piece, dipped it in the dip and ate it.
"Mmm, that's tasty. It's so fresh and crisp", she said.
Shadow picked up a piece and tried it as well, "That is good, we should get some", he said.
Naomi nodded as she decided to buy some artichokes. They walked around the Farmer's Market for the rest of the day, trying the free samples before actually buying some fruits, vegetables, bread, etc. By the time the day was over, they were walking home with four bags of farm grown goods.
"Man, we bought so much! I didn't think we'd be able to carry all of this back home", Naomi said jokingly.
Shadow smiled, "Well, the prices were reasonable and all the food is tasty and organic. Seems worth it to me, and now you and I have even more groceries", he said.
When they got back to the house, Shadow helped Naomi put away all the food they bought except for a few vegetables. Naomi decided to use them as ingredients for a stew for dinner, "Could you take out some of the rehydrated beef from the fridge? I need it for the stew, I'll prepare the vegetables", he said.
Shadow nodded as he took out a package of beef from the refrigerator and started to clean and tenderize it, after that, he gave it to Naomi who cut it up and threw it into the pot with the vegetables. Twenty minutes later, they sat on the couch watching a movie while eating bowls of beef stew.
"Um, Naomi...as first dates go, how was this one?", asked Shadow.
"Well, it was short but it was nice. I like you, Shadow, and I don't want to rush things so this was a nice first date. I'm not someone who's hard to please, so if we do more simple stuff like this on our dates, I don't mind. Anything to help our marriage grow", said Naomi.
Shadow looked away as he felt his heart race, this was exactly what he wanted. Naomi was already warming up to him and he was happy to know he wouldn't have to go to great lengths to impress her, that made things easier for him.
"Well good, I'm glad. I don't have much experience with romance myself, so I'm glad", he said.
For the next few months, he continued to ask Naomi to go out to do fun things. They would eat out at nice restaurants, go to the theater, go roller skating, etc.
Shadow had updated Rouge about the whole situation, and she in turn told their other friends. Everyone seemed happy for Shadow, with some jokingly hoping he didn't mess things. Shadow took these playful insults in stride as he continued taking Naomi out on dates.
They weren't anything too fancy or extravagant, but it was perfect for the two of them, especially since it was the first time that either of them had ever dated. For Naomi's part, she was just happy to be able to date and get to know her new husband.
For Shadow, it was strange to be married to and dating someone but it wasn't like he was opposed to the idea. If this would help build their relationship, then he would do it. In fact, it was actually exciting to be dating his new wife, and he was looking forward to what would happen.
Though, he wasn't entirely prepared for the crazy events that were about to unfold after being with Naomi for almost two years.
[Time Skip: A year and eleven months later]
It was December, a thick frost and heavy snowfall had blanketed the city. Everyone was in a festive mood because it was one week before Christmas, all the houses and businesses were decorated for the holidays, everyone was getting last minute shopping done and buying ingredients to prepare dinners.
Shadow had completed his work at G.U.N. that day before officially going on his holiday vacation, he left the headquarters and made his way to the mall. After thirty minutes, he came back out with something in his hands as he headed back home.
He could've simply teleported there, but he decided to take the long way by walking just so he could admire the scenery. The city looked very pretty covered in snow, with more snow slowly falling from the sky.
"Almost there...and I've got the perfect gift. For a special person, for a special reason", he said to himself while looking down at the small wrapped present in his hands.
Shadow finally arrived at the house, taking out his keys and stepping inside.
Naomi had walked downstairs when she heard the door open and close, she was wearing a cute green sweater, fuzzy green striped knee high socks, pajama shorts, and a Santa hat on her head.
"Shadow, you're home! Here, let me get that", she said as she proceeded to help take off his black winter coat, revealing that he was wearing a red sweater underneath.
"Um, thank you but I can undress myself", said Shadow.
Naomi hung the coat up in a nearby closet, "No no, I insist. I had some last minute projects to get done, but I managed to submit my work to the publishers via email. My books will be published sometime after New Year's, and they're thinking about turning one of them into a movie.
"My editor is in talks with some big name producers and movie studios about it, he says we might close a deal for the movie in a year", she said.
Naomi's job as a freelance writer was going well, the first few stories she had written were already made into books. Thousands of copies were sold and they were even featured on the bestseller lists, now she was working on new material to publish but was of course taking a break since it was the holiday season.
Shadow turned to face Naomi after he was done hanging up the coat and putting it into the closet, "That's good to hear, I'm very proud of you. Anyway, since Christmas is almost here, I figured I'd give you something special. I'm doing this now because I don't want to forget to do it later", he said as he handed the present to Naomi.
Naomi looked down at the green box wrapped in a red ribbon in her hands, she didn't know what was inside but she was still touched by the gesture. This was the first time since she had left her family that she had gotten a Christmas present, and while she loved it, she also felt guilty.
This was because she had been so preoccupied with getting her work done so she wouldn't have to worry about it during the winter break, that she hadn't remembered to get Shadow a gift.
Naomi's ears drooped down sadly, "A gift? For me? This is nice and all, but...I got nothing for you", she said with a look of regret on her face. She was ashamed of herself for forgetting to get a gift for her husband, who had done so much for her up until now.
Her guilty thoughts were interrupted when her cheeks were seized in Shadow's hands, making her look at him straight in the eyes.
"That shouldn't matter! All I need is your happiness!", Shadow said steadfastly.
Naomi blushed, "My...my happiness?", she asked.
Shadow quickly realized what he had said and started blushing from embarrassment, "Oh Chaos, did I really say that out loud?", he asked sheepishly.
Naomi smiled as she put a hand on one of the ones holding her face, "Yes, do you really mean it?", she asked. She didn't wait for an answer as she slowly eased Shadow's hands off of her face, and slowly started moving closer to him.
"Wait, what are you going to do? Forgive me, the words just slipped out without me thinking about them...", Shadow trailed off.
"Let me give you something... something to return the favor", said Naomi as she closed the gap between them with a kiss.
Now, they had kissed before but it was always just quick little pecks on the cheek or lips because they were afraid of pushing each other's boundaries. Now, Naomi was giving Shadow a full on passionate kiss on the lips; after a few minutes, she broke away.
"I've wanted to do that for the longest time, but I didn't out of respect for you. I wanted to wait until you were ready", said Naomi.
Have we finally reached that point, Shadow thought.
"Perhaps we have reached the point where our relationship has grown and evolved? I think that it's pretty clear we love each other, so maybe it is time that we--"
Shadow was cut off when the window suddenly flew open due to a particularly strong gust of wind.
"A blizzard?! Wait, I'll be right back!", shouted Naomi as she pulled away from Shadow and raced towards the window.
She quickly shut it and put down the window latch so it wouldn't pop open again, that was when she caught a glimpse of the weather outside. Snow was falling at a heavy rate, blowing this way and that due to the strong winds.
"It seems like a strong blizzard, guess we won't be going anywhere for the rest of the night. Glad I already got all the grocery shopping done beforehand", said Naomi.
"Indeed, at my house is fully equipped to handle such storms. We won't have to worry about the power potentially going out, and we still have heat and hot water", said Shadow.
Afterwards, as the clock struck ten o'clock, Naomi and Shadow reclined on the couch together whilst enjoying a glass of red wine. Though, they both had a bit too much since they were beginning to get drunk.
"Did I ever tell you my feelings?", Naomi asked drunkenly.
"No, why?", said Shadow. Being the Ultimate Lifeform and having alien DNA, his body could quickly process alcohol, so he was a lot less drunk than the hedgehog girl.
Naomi made a pouty face, "When we first met, I totally had the hots for you but I didn't ask you out cause I thought you didn't feel the same way...but I'm glad you returned my feelings", she slurred as she engulfed Shadow in another kiss.
I wonder what lies ahead for us, he thought.
After talking for two and a half hours, they both fell asleep on top of each other on the couch. They woke up the next morning in each other's embrace, the sun was shining but the snow level was still too high to safely go outside.
"Ah...morning", said Naomi as she yawned and stretched her arms.
"Good morning. Had a good sleep?", said Shadow.
"Yeah. I'm feeling a little woozy and chilly, though. I'm gonna go have bath and then make some coffee", said Naomi as she stood up from the couch with a blanket covering her.
She wasn't able to cover her backside, so Shadow had gotten a full view of her bare naked back and butt. It was then that he looked down and saw that his member was poking out of its sheath.
Shadow immediately put two and two together as he blushed furiously.
Did we do what I think we did last night, he thought.
[Time Skip]
The following week, on Christmas Day, the two of them went to a Christmas party where Sonic and his friends were all gathered together. Shadow wasn't one for parties but it was Christmas, and he did want his wife to meet his friends at some point.
As it turned out, Naomi got along great with everyone even if she was still a little anxious around them.
"Ya know, Shads. I get that you didn't want to have a huge wedding, but couldn't you at least take some wedding pictures? It'll make your marriage feel more, ya know?", said Sonic.
"Oh, that's great idea! You two would look so cute together in a dress and tux!", said Amy.
"And to be fair, taking wedding pictures is less expensive than having a wedding", said Rouge.
Shadow thought about it and he realized they were right. He didn't want to have a big bombastic wedding because he saw it as a waste of time and he didn't like big parties like that, but it wouldn't hurt to just take some wedding photos.
Sonic had a point, his marriage to Naomi felt more casual than anything else. Taking pictures could make it feel more official and real, "Alright, I'll look for places that do that and we'll take wedding photos. I'll sure to send each of you one as well", said Shadow.
With that said, everyone cheered and moved on with their happy little Christmas party.
A few weeks later after New Year's, Shadow and Naomi went to a small photography company go have their wedding photos taken, wearing a dress and tuxedo they had rented. Once the photos were developed, they made sure to send copies to their friends to keep the memory.
A week later, Shadow began to notice that Naomi was acting strangely: she would complain about feeling sick, she would get very moody and despite feeling sick, she would want to gorge herself on large quantities of food.
Concerned that something was wrong with his wife, Shadow brought her to the clinic which was adjacent to the hospital. A female doctor, a yellow Mobian dog, came out to see them.
"What seems to be the issue?", she asked sweetly.
"Ma'am, my wife has been very sick lately. She vomits constantly, suffers from fatigue and her emotions change at the drop of a hat. Is there something wrong with her?", said Shadow.
The doctor asked Naomi to come with her to perform some simple tests and to get a urine sample, afterwards she sent them on their way and said she'd call within the next few days.
Another week passed, and Shadow got a call from the clinic while he was taking care of Naomi.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Mr. Hedgehog? We have the results of your wife's lab work"
Shadow breathed a sigh, "Well then, tell me. Is my wife alright? Does she have some sort of disease?", he asked nervously.
The doctor let out a small laugh, "You don't need to worry, Naomi is perfectly fine. She's not sick, she's pregnant", she said.
Shadow paused for a moment, thinking that he had heard wrong. "Wait, what did you say?", he asked.
"Mr. Hedgehog, your wife is perfectly fine, she's just pregnant. She is currently four weeks pregnant, which is why she's been feeling sick and moody.
"It's morning sickness, plus her hormones are a little out of balance which explains the mood shifts. But I can assure you she is perfectly healthy, and the baby is doing well too. It's too soon to determine the gender, but since Mobian hedgehogs are only pregnant for forty days, you can bring her here in the next few weeks and we'll do an ultrasound", said the doctor.
Shadow was speechless for a moment before he thanked the doctor and hung up the phone. Naomi, who had woken up from her nap, came over to check on him.
"Shadow, are you okay? Was that the doctor? What did she say?", she asked in concern.
Shadow slowly turned around and Naomi gasped upon seeing the tears leaking from his eyes, it was an upsetting sight because Shadow was known for keeping his emotions under wraps. Before Naomi could suspect the worst, Shadow engulfed her in a hug.
"Shadow, what's wrong?", she asked.
"Nothing is wrong, absolutely nothing! Far from it! Oh Naomi...we're gonna be parents!", Shadow said as he placed a hand on her belly.
Naomi gasped in shock, at first she thought it was a joke but the look of sincere and pure joy on Shadow's face told her it was the truth. Naomi's eyes filled with tears as she hugged Shadow, "Oh my God, I'm so happy!", she sobbed.
The next day, they told everyone the good news and the excitement was evident. Whilst everyone else was congratulating Naomi, Rouge took Shadow to the side to talk to him privately.
"I'm proud of you, Shadow. We all are, but will you be able to handle this?", said Rouge.
"Of course I can, and I will. Naomi is the love of my life, and now our love has created a child. I will do everything in my power to love and protect both of them!", Shadow declared.
Rouge smiled genuinely, "Spoken like a true man, I'm real proud of ya!", she said as she hugged Shadow.
Just then, Sonic popped into the room. "Hey, Shads. Hate to interrupt, but you might wanna get back in here! Ames is driving your wife crazy thinking about baby names and wanting to throw a baby shower!", he said with laugh.
Rouge laughed too as Shadow rolled eyes and went back into the other room to save his wife from the "wrath" of Amy Rose.
[Time Skip]
The following days, Naomi had reached the stabilization period of her pregnancy and her morning sickness was calming down a bit.
She and Shadow went to the doctor to have an ultrasound done and see what gender their baby was. As it turned out, they were having a girl and so far she was growing strong and healthy.
The couple couldn't have been happier to find out about their baby girl , but there was a little trouble in paradise. Just because Naomi's morning sickness was started to calm down, didn't mean her other symptoms weren't present.
In fact, her mood shifts were the cause of several small arguments. Such as one incident where they were arguing over what to watch for their romantic movie night at home.
"You're being stupid!"
"You're being stubborn!"
They stood in the living room, passive aggressively shouting at each other whilst two DVDs sat on the coffee table.
"I'm not being stubborn! I can't believe you actually like that obvious twelve year old girl's self insert fanfiction with a budget!", Shadow said referring to the Twilight movies.
"Says the guy who likes that weird and gross necrophilia bait!", said Naomi referring to the movie Warm Bodies.
Shadow scoffed and turned away, "It's an interesting new take on the zombie genre! Not only are you acting stupid, but you also have no taste!", he said.
Naomi's face turned red from indignation before she ran upstairs, careful not to jostle her pregnant belly too much.
"Hey, get back here! What do you think you're--"
Shadow was cut off when a pillow was thrown into his face, "I'm going to bed, and I don't want your ass near me! You're sleeping on the couch, tonight! Maybe now I'll be able to sleep without you drooling on me like some slobbering dog!", shouted Naomi.
Her name was officially on the deed of ownership of the house at this point, so she also had dominion over it and the authority to ban Shadow from the bedroom.
"Well go on then, and enjoy your horrible grizzly bear snoring! I know for a fact I won't miss it!", shouted Shadow.
Naomi huffed as she went into the bedroom and slammed the door. Shadow huffed as he threw himself on the couch, an apathetic look on his face.
"Whatever...", he muttered.
Upstairs, Naomi angrily cried and screamed into her pillow before she tried to go to sleep. At one o'clock in the morning, she was still awake and feeling very grumpy...and a little lonely. She felt her spine stiffen a bit.
"Since when does my back freeze? Or is it just...too much free space behind me?", she said with a sigh.
Back downstairs, Shadow was also still awake, staring at the floor dismally. "Damn it, looks like I'm not sleeping tonight at all. Naomi...", he whispered.
As if on cue, he heard the bedroom door open and saw Naomi walk downstairs holding a chibi marshmallow pillow.
"Shads?"
"Naomi? Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I couldn't, not without you"
The two remained silent for a few minutes before Shadow made some room for her on the couch, "Come on, lie down. You need sleep even more than I do, it's not good for you or the little one to be up this late", he said.
Naomi sighed as she laid down beside her husband on the couch, making herself comfortable as Shadow draped a blanket over her.
"Shadow, I'm sorry...", Naomi muttered.
Shadow soothed her with a few kisses on her face and gentle rubs on her belly, "Shhh. You don't need to apologize, love. I'm the one who should be sorry for starting such a petty argument, it's not your fault", he said.
Naomi was comforted by this as she soon fell asleep in Shadow's embrace.
[Time Skip]
It had been thirty eight days, Shadow and Naomi's baby was due to be born at any time and they couldn't be more excited. They both walked out of the clinic after having another appointment with their doctor.
Everything was all clear, and the baby was strong and healthy. The doctor also said that Naomi should be going into labor any day now, and they head to the hospital right away when that happens. And for now, Naomi should relax and take it easy.
Even with that said, Naomi still diligently kept up with the house chores. Though, Shadow helped her out to relieve her of any physical strain, which is why he put in for paid paternity leave at work. He wanted to make sure Naomi was taken care of, especially after she gave birth when she'll be very vulnerable.
Not to mention, Shadow didn't want to leave all the childcare to her so he was going to help take care of the baby with her for the first year. Then, they would look for nursery schools or daycare so the two of them could return to work.
Naomi had outlines for many new books in the works, but she was taking a break due to her pregnancy. Her editors were very understanding and agreed to wait until her child was old enough to go to daycare to continue work. In the meantime, one of her books was accepted by a well known film studio to be made into a movie, and another was in the process of being turned into a television series.
Shadow's friends threw them a baby shower, gifting them all sorts baby items like clothes and toys and bottles. Sonic and Tails were even kind enough to build the crib for the baby for them, and even paint one section of the master bedroom pink because that's where it would go.
Despite always finding Sonic irritating to be around, Shadow was genuinely appreciative for his help and the gifts.
So, everything was looking up for Naomi and Shadow, but...there would always be obstacles that hinder a person's life and get in the way of their happiness.
One afternoon, Shadow and Naomi were at the park enjoying the sunny spring day, though it was still a little chilly so they were wearing sweaters and scarves to stay warm. Naomi looked down at her large belly as she rubbed it affectionately.
"It's almost time, I cannot wait to see our baby! I wanna hold her in my arms", she said.
Shadow reached over to rub her belly as well, "Me too, I'm sure she'll be beautiful just like her mother. By the way, have you decided on a name for her?", he said.
Naomi looked up and smiled at him, "Oh I definitely have one now. What do you think of...Maria?", she asked.
Shadow's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, "I love you so damn much, what did I do to deserve you?", he said lovingly. Naomi giggled as she nuzzles him.
"Naomi? Is that you, dear?"
Naomi tensed up when she heard a familiar sounding voice, she looked up to see a familiar looking orange hedgehog woman standing just a few feet away from where she and Shadow were sitting. Naomi could feel her heart racing as she stared into the woman's blue eyes.
"M-M-Mom?!", she shouted.
Shadow gasped in surprise but as he looked between the strange woman and his wife, he realized there was a strong resemblance between them. This woman really was Naomi's estranged mother, whom she hadn't seen or heard from since Shadow accepted her proposal.
Once he realized that, he suddenly became very angry. Shadow stood up with Naomi protectively in his arms as he glared at her mother, "You've got some damn nerve showing your face around us after you practically threw your daughter away! What the Hell do you want now?!", he shouted.
The woman flinched before putting on a lopsided smile, "Please don't be angry. I guess you must be Shadow the Hedgehog, correct? My name is Eloise, I am Naomi's mother. I just wanted to talk to my daughter, I see she's matured a lot and she's even pregnant. Congratulations, my dear!", she said.
Her forcefully cheery attitude was beginning to creep Naomi out as she clung to Shadow out of fear, "Mom...you and Dad forced me to make the RealShadowFan01 account and ask Shadow to marry me. Then when he accepted, you basically tossed me out and disowned me!
"You and Dad never loved me, all you cared about was Frieda! My older sister was the most important person to you because she was so cute and talented and smart, while I was just the quiet kid with the plain face and average grades.
"You didn't even let me go to college and mocked my dreams of being a writer. Well, look at me now! Shadow and I are genuinely in love, I am a well known writer who is paid good money to write stories people love, two of them are being made into a movie and TV show!
"I have so many nice friends too, and now I'm pregnant with my first child! My life is wonderful, but now you want to crawl back into it? Why? What do you want from me after all this time?", she said.
Eloise flinched again, "Okay, I guess I should just cut to the chase then. We need money! Your father and I tried to set Frieda up with a talent agency so she could become famous, but then she met some man and disappeared with all our money!
"Your father and I are broke, we had to sell our house and move into a tiny cramped apartment! We've tried to contact your sister dozens of times, but she has completely distanced herself from us!
"Please help us! You're our only hope, we now you have money! Not just from your career as a writer, but your husband works for the government so we both know you have a lot of money! Give us some, please!", she begged.
Before Naomi could say anything, she gasped and groaned in pain as she struggled to stay upright. "Naomi, what's wrong? What's happening?", asked Shadow.
"The baby...I think she's coming!", Naomi shouted.
Shadow's eyes widened in shock as he lifted her up into his arms, he turned to glare at Eloise. "Come near us again and you will regret it!", he said as he teleported to the hospital.
He caught the attention of some of the doctors and told them his wife was going into labor, so they guided him to one of the delivery rooms. Shadow placed Naomi down on one of the beds as the doctors prepared themselves.
That was when one of them approached him, "Mr. Hedgehog, the situation is a bit more serious than we thought. We have need to perform a C-section if we want to safely deliver the baby with no harm to your wife", they said.
Shadow gasped in shock but he managed to stay calm as he took Naomi's hand, "Relax, Naomi. Everything is going to be alright, I'm here by your side", he said. Despite her pain, Naomi was still able to smile at her husband. Just having him beside her was enough to almost make her forget about her labor pains or the fact that her estranged mother suddenly showed up begging for money.
After nearly three hours of painful labor, the doctor successfully delivered Naomi's baby. "There we go, a healthy baby girl. Let's get you cleaned up, little one", they said. Once the baby was cleaned up and swaddled in a blanket, she was placed into Shadow's arms.
He took a good look at his daughter, she almost looked like a carbon copy of himself except her fur was a soft orange and she had a crop of black hair on her head, but she did have Shadow's red streaks and eyes.
"My baby girl, Maria. You are absolutely beautiful, I love you so much", he whispered.
"Hey, let me look at her. I wanna see her too, ya know?", Naomi said weakly as she was still recovering from the delivery.
Shadow gently slipped his baby girl into his wife's arms, allowing her to look at her sweet and innocent face. "She's perfect. Oh Shadow, I'm so happy!", said Naomi. Shadow kisses his wife on the lips, "As am I, I love you so much", he said.
The doctor approached them, "The mother and daughter seem to be doing just fine, but Mrs. Hedgehog needs to stay here for a couple of weeks to recover from her surgical wounds. It's best for her to stay in bed and not move around so as not to pull the stitches", they said.
Shadow nodded in understanding, "Understood, doctor. Naomi, you stay here and focus on getting better. I may have to go into work again soon, but I promise to visit everyday. I'll also get the house ready for you when you come home.
"And when you do, all you have to do is relax. Leave the heavy lifting to me while you focus on Maria, I want to make sure nothing stresses you out during your recovery", he said.
Naomi nodded in agreement, "Of course, honey. Thank you so much, and don't worry. After all that, all I want to do right now is get some sleep. I appreciate you helping me out", she said.
Shadow smiled as he gave her a kiss, then he helped signed the birth certificate before leaving for the day. That night, Naomi slept peacefully in her hospital room as did little Maria in the prenatal ward. As she slept, a mysterious figure in the dark crept close to her and placed a cloth over her face.
Naomi flinched a bit, but then she sighed and remained unconscious. The mysterious figure then lifted her out of the bed and carried her out of the hospital in the dead of night.
The next morning, Shadow sat in his office at G.U.N. HQ filing some paperwork. Just then, the phone rang so he answered it.
"Yes, hello? Yes, this is Shadow the Hedgehog. Wait, what? What?! When did this happen?!", he shouted.
As it turned out, one of the doctors at the hospital called him and informed him that Naomi had disappeared from the maternity ward. Shadow hurried over to the hospital, where Sonic and the others were already there.
"What's going on?!", shouted Shadow.
"Whoa, Shads! Calm down a second, freaking out right now won't help the situation", said Sonic.
"According to the doctors, Naomi disappeared from the hospital last night. Not only that, but we were also told her surgical wounds haven't had time to heal properly, so she could be in serious danger!", said Knuckles.
"What about Maria? Is she okay?", asked Shadow.
"Yes, she's alright. She's still in the prenatal ward with the other babies, but Naomi is gone", said Amy.
"It doesn't seem like her to just leave the hospital, especially since she's not yet recovered from her surgical wounds. You guys don't think she was kidnapped, do you?", said Tails.
Shadow thought about it for a moment before he not only realized that what Tails said could be true, but also who would be responsible if so. And the realization began to make him feel very angry.
"Shads...?", Sonic asked in concern.
[Time Skip]
Turns out that Tails was correct, Naomi had been kidnapped. Not only that, but the people who abducted her were her own parents. They had taken her to an isolated cabin in the woods, where they tied her up.
When she woke up, she was beyond terrified.
"If you won't help us by giving us money, then we're gonna ransom you up to that rich husband of yours", said her father.
"Richard's right! You'll finally be useful to us for once in your life, and if your husband doesn't want anything to happen to you, he'll comply with our demands. I think two million dollars is a perfect amount", said Eloise.
Naomi was now so scared that she started crying, but then she started thinking about Shadow. She remembered how he would always face any adversary in his way, never backing down or showing fear. She figured if she was going to get out of this situation, she'd have to be brave like her husband.
So, throwing caution to the wind, Naomi stuck her leg out and kicked her father, making fall to the ground. Then she climbed to her feet and bolted for the door, her mother ran after her. "Where do you think you're going?! Get back here and make us money, you useless brat!", Eloise screamed.
Before she could grab her, Naomi tripped her, causing her to fall into the door and knock it open. Seizing the opportunity, Naomi made a run for it, running as fast as possible. She didn't make it too far though because after about running ten feet, she collapsed.
Blood started leaking down between her legs and she felt very dizzy, her surgical wounds had reopened and now she was slowly losing blood. "Shadow...help me, please", Naomi muttered as tears fell from her eyes.
As she slowly lost consciousness, there was a rustling in the nearby bushes. A mysterious individual stepped out of the bushes.
"What the...where'd all this blood come from? Oh...oh Chaos! What happened here? I've got to get this girl to the hospital!"
[Time Skip]
Shadow and the others were searching frantically for where Naomi's parents could've taken her to, but they were having difficulty since they didn't know them and so didn't know where they went. They soon grouped back up together.
"Any luck?", asked Sonic.
"No, I've looked everywhere", said Tails.
"I've searched high and low with Rouge, but we couldn't find them at all", said Knuckles.
"You don't think they left the city completely, did they?", asked Amy.
Shadow groaned in frustration, "This is all my fault! I wasn't there to protect her, and then this happened! I'm a terrible husband!", he shouted.
Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up, Shads. You didn't know this would happen, so it's not your fault. We'll find her!", he said.
Just then, everyone heard a familiar whirring sound. They all turned around to see Dr. Eggman approaching them in his Egg Mobile, they all immediately took up battle stances.
"Damn it! Eggman, get lost! We literally don't have the time to be dealing with you right now!", shouted Shadow.
That was when Eggman turned the Egg Mobile around, revealing Naomi who was unconscious and sitting next to him. "This girl, she needs medical attention! One of you go get a doctor quick!", he said. Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Naomi's bloodied body, Sonic immediately took off into the hospital to get some doctors.
A few minutes later, a group of paramedics came rushing out with a gurney. With Eggman's help, they lowered Naomi onto the gurney and wheeled her into the hospital. After they were gone, Knuckles jumped onto the Egg Mobile to confront Eggman.
"You found her like that, right? You didn't hurt her, did you? Cause if you did, I swear we won't go easy on you!", he threatened.
"Calm down, knucklehead! Of course I found her like that, she was in the woods not too far from my base. I heard strange noises outside and came out to see what it was, that's when I found her bleeding out on the grass", explained Eggman.
"Leave him, Knux. I believe him, not even Eggman is evil enough to hurt a young woman who just gave birth. He's telling the truth", said Sonic.
Knuckles huffed as he leapt off of the Egg Mobile, allowing the doctor to take off. Then, everyone went inside the hospital to see how Naomi was doing; Shadow was sitting in the waiting, a panicked look on his face. His friends sat around him and tried to comfort him, that was when a doctor came out of the ER.
"We managed to get her stable, but she's not out of the woods just yet. All we can do now is treat anything more that shows up", he said.
"Thank you", said Shadow.
As the doctor walked away, all the anxiety and adrenaline in Shadow's body finally wore off and he promptly passed out, collapsing onto the floor.
"Shadow!", everyone shouted.
Three hours later, Shadow slowly regained consciousness, groaning as he had a bit of a headache. His eyes didn't open yet, though.
"Shadow? Shadow?"
Shadow heard a soft feminine voice speaking to him, trying to gently coax to wake up. Then, his eyes slowly opened as his vision was distorting.
"M-Maria...?", he muttered.
"No, Shadow. It's me, Naomi"
Shadow's eyes flew open, standing near his bedside was Naomi. Well, she was actually sitting in a wheelchair since she had still been too weak to walk, but she looked to be alright.
"Naomi? Naomi! Thank Chaos, you're alive! I thought I lost you!", he shouted as he hugged her.
Naomi hugged him back, "I thought I lost you! My parents kidnapped me and were planning to demand ransom, but I thought about how brave you are so I escaped", she said.
Shadow felt relief from the bottom of his heart, he peppered her face with dozens of kisses. "I'm just glad you're alright, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you like...", he trailed off since he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
Naomi gently rubbed his back, "Shh...it's okay, Shadow. I know, I never want you to go through that pain again. I love you", she said.
"I love you too", said Shadow.
[Time Skip]
After Naomi had recovered from her injuries, she and Shadow decided to press charges against her parents. Thanks to evidence and testimony from Eggman, which was surprising to say the least, Richard and Eloise were found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
And since they were already in their late forties, they were going to be elderly by the time they got out. Not that it mattered since they still didn't have any money to move into an old folk's home.
Naomi's older sister, Frieda, was still no where to be found. It seemed she really did ghost her family after meeting her boyfriend, and she went out of her way to disappear after taking all their money.
After Naomi was discharged from the hospital, she went back home with Shadow and their baby girl, Maria. She still needed to rest, but that was alright with Shadow. He did all the work around the house while she recovered and took care of Maria, after all she was the only one who could breastfeed her.
Soon, Naomi was able to get back on her feet and help out around the house again. Shadow helped her with taking care of their baby, buying formula once she was weaned and diapers, and taking them to doctor's appointments.
Shadow had to go back to work, but that was fine with Naomi. She could handle things just fine on her own, and if not, Amy was always a phone call away to come help out.
Speaking of their friends, they were happy to see that Shadow and Naomi were doing so well with their little family and they would sometimes come over for small get togethers.
Shadow never thought that when he made that declaration on the podcast that his life would be where it was now, he never expected to get married but now that he was, he couldn't have been happier.
Making that declaration was the best decision he ever made in his life because now he had a beautiful and kindhearted wife and a sweet little daughter. Shadow was the happiest hedgehog in the world, and he wouldn't change his life for anything.
As Shadow laid down to go to sleep with Naomi, their daughter already sleeping in her crib, one thought swirled around in his mind.
Maria...I hope you're proud of me, he thought.
[The End]